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Grant Will Allow Fort Meade Woman to Help More

House of Israel, a women's shelter, has land and the desire to grow

Maurice Nelson, executive director of House of Israel women's shelter in Fort Meade. Nelson's shelter is expanding with construction to begin soon on a four-plex, providing permanent shelter for four women and their families.

Published: Friday, February 28, 2014 at 3:25 p.m.

Last Modified: Friday, February 28, 2014 at 3:25 p.m.

FORT MEADE | Scruffy and vacant, the patch of land just south of downtown has all the right attributes.

It sits on a bus line.

Shopping is a short walk away.

Maurice Nelson saw potential in the bedraggled corner lot nearly an acre in size and snagged it in December 2012 for $45,000.

Nelson, vice-mayor of Fort Meade, knows about potential. The parcel sits just two short blocks from the House of Israel, a faith-based shelter she founded in 2000 for women who have been to rock bottom, mostly because of drugs, and need a lift.

She bought the extra acreage knowing that some day her agency would have need to expand. Now she has the money to follow through with those plans.

It's been nearly a year since House of Israel was approved for a federal grant of $271,250, acquired with assistance from Polk County's homeless coalitions. The money will be used to build a four-unit apartment building to permanently house women who successfully complete Nelson's program, which typically takes two years. Her current facility at 4 SW Fifth St. contains six bedrooms, all occupied.

Nelson is waiting on final approval from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development before putting her project out to bid. She is optimistic of breaking ground soon, though with government, "it's not safe to put a time frame on it," she said.

The project will free up badly needed shelter space in a part of the county with few options for the homeless, Nelson said. "I turn down a lot of people."

The HUD grant will cover a portion of construction and two years' worth of operational expenses. Nelson borrowed an additional $185,000.

As the shelter's executive director, Nelson, 54, counsels through firsthand knowledge. For the better part of eight years she struggled with her addiction to cocaine, at times living on the streets.

Faced with losing her two daughters for good, the Fort Meade native agreed in 1992 to enter Teen Challenge, a Bible-thumping residential diversion program that formed the basis for the 1962 book "The Cross and the Switchblade."

House of Israel is patterned in part by Nelson's 12-month experience in Teen Challenge, which, contrary to its name, helps people of all ages once they've weaned themselves of their addictions by way of an approved detoxification program.

Many of the women she invites into her program share similar circumstances. Because of her drug use Nelson said she was shunned by the aunt who raised her. "So I had to leave her house. ... I found myself living from pillar to post."

After giving birth to her second child, the baby tested positive for cocaine, she said, and the state's child welfare system gave her an ultimatum: get clean or face termination of parental rights.

Nelson was 33 when she entered Teen Challenge in Orlando. "We had to read the Bible for breakfast, for lunch, for dinner," she said, "and that's where my journey began."

Upon completion of the program, Nelson eventually moved back to her hometown and found work with ServiceMaster. After completing a parenting program and obtaining her own apartment she was reunited with her two daughters, Roneiqua Wright, now 32 and employed as a case manager at House of Israel, and Jameira Thomas, 22, a senior at USF.

Nelson started her agency on a shoestring, and it's still a fairly small program with 2012 annual revenue of $156,760.

With stewardship from members of the homeless coalitions, House of Israel in 2004 obtained a grant to build a six-bed shelter. The trio of hurricanes that ripped through Polk that year delayed construction until 2010.

In spite of its small size, House of Israel has, over time, grown to become a serious organization with sound financial practices and a board of directors, factors essential to gaining government grants, said Jacque Henderson, a coalition member who chairs HUD's Continuum of Care program for East Polk.

"It just takes a significant amount of organizational structure to be able to draw down HUD funding," she said. "She (Nelson) jumped through all the hoops. She's kind of the Unsinkable Molly Brown of homelessness."

Nelson has walked the walk, which inspires women down on their luck, said the Rev. Brenda Bonney, pastor of First Born Church of the Living God in Fort Meade, who serves as president of House of Israel's board of directors.

"Not everyone receives help," she said, "but the ones who do are blessed for it. She (Nelson) has really put in a lot of time and energy. It has worked for many women."

Tacey Span, 42, is one of the lucky few to have an apartment all to her own once construction is completed. A single mother of two, ages 20 and 22, she came to House of Israel more than two years ago after spending a year on the streets of Lakeland.

Now she has a job constructing filters for air conditioners and is capable of living on her own with rent subsidized by HUD. "I think I was blessed to get a spot here," Span said. "It's been a wonderful experience. I've grown to know myself better. It's great to know a sober life, being responsible."

Nelson would like to see her shelter grow further, which is why she purchased the large square of land that adjoins U.S. 17 and sits directly across from Fort Meade's community center. There's room to add additional apartments. In time.

"This is my passion," she said. "I love to see transformation."

[ Eric Pera can be reached at eric.pera@theledger.com or 863-802-7528. ]

<p>FORT MEADE | Scruffy and vacant, the patch of land just south of downtown has all the right attributes.</p><p>It sits on a bus line.</p><p>Shopping is a short walk away.</p><p>Maurice Nelson saw potential in the bedraggled corner lot nearly an acre in size and snagged it in December 2012 for $45,000.</p><p>Nelson, vice-mayor of Fort Meade, knows about potential. The parcel sits just two short blocks from the House of Israel, a faith-based shelter she founded in 2000 for women who have been to rock bottom, mostly because of drugs, and need a lift.</p><p>She bought the extra acreage knowing that some day her agency would have need to expand. Now she has the money to follow through with those plans.</p><p>It's been nearly a year since House of Israel was approved for a federal grant of $271,250, acquired with assistance from Polk County's homeless coalitions. The money will be used to build a four-unit apartment building to permanently house women who successfully complete Nelson's program, which typically takes two years. Her current facility at 4 SW Fifth St. contains six bedrooms, all occupied.</p><p>Nelson is waiting on final approval from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development before putting her project out to bid. She is optimistic of breaking ground soon, though with government, "it's not safe to put a time frame on it," she said.</p><p>The project will free up badly needed shelter space in a part of the county with few options for the homeless, Nelson said. "I turn down a lot of people."</p><p>The HUD grant will cover a portion of construction and two years' worth of operational expenses. Nelson borrowed an additional $185,000.</p><p>As the shelter's executive director, Nelson, 54, counsels through firsthand knowledge. For the better part of eight years she struggled with her addiction to cocaine, at times living on the streets.</p><p>Faced with losing her two daughters for good, the Fort Meade native agreed in 1992 to enter Teen Challenge, a Bible-thumping residential diversion program that formed the basis for the 1962 book "The Cross and the Switchblade."</p><p>House of Israel is patterned in part by Nelson's 12-month experience in Teen Challenge, which, contrary to its name, helps people of all ages once they've weaned themselves of their addictions by way of an approved detoxification program.</p><p>Many of the women she invites into her program share similar circumstances. Because of her drug use Nelson said she was shunned by the aunt who raised her. "So I had to leave her house. ... I found myself living from pillar to post."</p><p>After giving birth to her second child, the baby tested positive for cocaine, she said, and the state's child welfare system gave her an ultimatum: get clean or face termination of parental rights.</p><p>Nelson was 33 when she entered Teen Challenge in Orlando. "We had to read the Bible for breakfast, for lunch, for dinner," she said, "and that's where my journey began."</p><p>Upon completion of the program, Nelson eventually moved back to her hometown and found work with ServiceMaster. After completing a parenting program and obtaining her own apartment she was reunited with her two daughters, Roneiqua Wright, now 32 and employed as a case manager at House of Israel, and Jameira Thomas, 22, a senior at USF.</p><p>Nelson started her agency on a shoestring, and it's still a fairly small program with 2012 annual revenue of $156,760. </p><p>With stewardship from members of the homeless coalitions, House of Israel in 2004 obtained a grant to build a six-bed shelter. The trio of hurricanes that ripped through Polk that year delayed construction until 2010.</p><p>In spite of its small size, House of Israel has, over time, grown to become a serious organization with sound financial practices and a board of directors, factors essential to gaining government grants, said Jacque Henderson, a coalition member who chairs HUD's Continuum of Care program for East Polk.</p><p>"It just takes a significant amount of organizational structure to be able to draw down HUD funding," she said. "She (Nelson) jumped through all the hoops. She's kind of the Unsinkable Molly Brown of homelessness."</p><p>Nelson has walked the walk, which inspires women down on their luck, said the Rev. Brenda Bonney, pastor of First Born Church of the Living God in Fort Meade, who serves as president of House of Israel's board of directors.</p><p>"Not everyone receives help," she said, "but the ones who do are blessed for it. She (Nelson) has really put in a lot of time and energy. It has worked for many women."</p><p>Tacey Span, 42, is one of the lucky few to have an apartment all to her own once construction is completed. A single mother of two, ages 20 and 22, she came to House of Israel more than two years ago after spending a year on the streets of Lakeland.</p><p>Now she has a job constructing filters for air conditioners and is capable of living on her own with rent subsidized by HUD. "I think I was blessed to get a spot here," Span said. "It's been a wonderful experience. I've grown to know myself better. It's great to know a sober life, being responsible."</p><p>Nelson would like to see her shelter grow further, which is why she purchased the large square of land that adjoins U.S. 17 and sits directly across from Fort Meade's community center. There's room to add additional apartments. In time.</p><p>"This is my passion," she said. "I love to see transformation."</p><p>[ Eric Pera can be reached at eric.pera@theledger.com or 863-802-7528. ]</p>